Book touts exercise as best medicine

Published 3:20 pm, Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Imagine if there were a drug that could help prevent a variety of ailments, from heart disease to many types of cancer to cold and flu. The drug would also partially block the progression of dementia, elevate your mood and help you sleep better. Best of all, the drug would be free and have little to no side effects when used properly.

Most people would jump at the chance to take this miracle pharmaceutical. But Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician with offices in both Greenwich and New York, claims this wonder drug already exists. And, amazingly, not everyone is taking it.

The "drug" in question is exercise and Metzl said getting adequate physical activity -- he recommends a half hour a day, seven days a week -- is one the best things you can do for your health.

"Instead of waiting for problems to find them, this is a way they can be masters of their own health," said Metzl, who lives in New York City and works at New York City's Hospital for Special Surgery.

The idea of physical activity as medicine is the subject of Metzl's new book "The Exercise Cure: A Doctor's All-Natural, No-Pill Prescription for Better Health & Longer Life," (Rodale Books,$26.99). Almost every chapter of the book deals with a different ailment -- including cancer, psychological problems and even sexual problems -- and the various ways that exercise can help.

For instance, those with high blood pressure can benefit from working out, as Metzl states in the book that regular exercise causes both systolic and diastolic blood pressure to drop by five to 10 points (as long as your doctor has cleared you for physical activity). The book also contains various workout regimens that can be done at home, along with advice on what to do if you get hurt and when to call a doctor.

Metzl said the book is his way of spreading the gospel of how crucial physical fitness is to overall health. He deals almost exclusively with athletes in his practice, and he's witnessed people reaping benefits from regular activity for years. "I have athletic people in their 70s and 80s who came to see me, and their minds were so much sharper," Metzl said.

Metzl is also an avid athlete himself, having completed 31 marathons and 11 Ironman triathlons. But, he said, improving health through exercise is something anyone can do. "This isn't just for athletes like me," he said. "It's for everybody."

Metzl said people have become dependent on medications to make them feel better, but these medications can be expensive, and some of them have dangerous side effects. Exercise, he said, is largely free and, if you do it safely and with the guidance of an expert, there's little risk. Metzl also believes its effects are more far-reaching than that of any prescription drug. "The only drug that works across entire body with no side effects is exercise," he said.

Research backs him up to some degree. In 2012, the journal PLOS Medicine published a study showing that 2.5 hours of moderate exercise a week increased life expectancy by 3.5 years. Those in the study, which looked at data from more than 600,000 people, also showed that who exercised more intensely increased life expectancy by 4.2 years.

But the idea that exercise is good for you is far from new. And though Metzl said people seem more receptive to that idea than they used to be, there are still some barriers.

"Some people get discouraged," he said. "They feel it's too hard. Sometimes, in America we like things to be easy."

His hope is that his book, with its relatively simple at home regimens and daunting list of exercise benefits, will get people moving. "Everything I talk about is stuff you can do at home on your own in your living room," Metzl said. "People don't have to be intimidated. They can do it at home and not be judged."

With the new year upon us and many people resolving to lose weight or get fit, he hopes his book will provide motivation. "I want people to have a healthier 2014 and this is one of the cheapest, safest ways they can do that," Metzl said.